Drip, drip.
Banana leaves hung low, silvery raindrops sliding from their tips and striking the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, shattering, bouncing, and spraying all around.
After the Start of Spring, the weather had warmed. By Rain Water, the dampness had become more pronounced.
When he rose in the morning, the mist was thick as a curtain, and the rainfall was abundant, with rain coming often. Once March arrived, Meng Yi was like a spring insect shaking itself out of the earth to forage, visiting the Da Xi every day. Today, he had rushed over so hurriedly that even his guards with umbrellas could not catch up; he arrived soaked in water mist.
"Da Xi, is there still no second stage?"
"General Meng, sit." Hundred-Legged pointed at the tall stool beside him. "Why must you be in such a panic? If there is news, I will naturally send someone to inform you."
"Ah..." A servant handed him a towel. Meng Yi took it and gave himself a cursory wipe. "Da Xi, you do not know how dire things have become. Five of the Nine Forts are hoping to negotiate peace with Da Shun as soon as possible, secure some benefits, withdraw their troops, and recuperate. The Tusi has sent nine gold plaques in succession, pressing me to produce results and stabilize the rear.
"To be frank, Da Xi, tomorrow is Awakening of Insects. Perhaps my strength is lacking, but these past few days I have felt increasingly unsettled, as though my blood was stirring with a warning from Heaven itself. Like a civet cat hearing thunder, I have been truly panicked. For some reason, that Liang Qu of Da Shun has made no move for more than a month."
"I naturally understand the state of the war. How could there